I have a bunch of surplus IMR 5010 and WC860 powder and I am looking for some load data or ACCURATE equivalent powder data for it. I have some really good loads worked up with the IMR5010 and 690gr ball, but I'd like to load up some incendiaries, spotter tracers, and maybe Amaxs if anyone has some data for either powder that they will shoot with. Rifle is a Barrett 82A. If anyone could give me a link to some graphed load data (for 640-820gr projos?) that I could print and put in my reloading book I would really appreciate it. I have a membership on FCSA, but I can't seem to find any decent data for the pull down powders on there. Thanks!

Originally Posted By M4-Pilot:
I have a bunch of surplus IMR 5010 and WC860 powder and I am looking for some load data or ACCURATE equivalent powder data for it. I have some really good loads worked up with the IMR5010 and 690gr ball, but I'd like to load up some incendiaries, spotter tracers, and maybe Amaxs if anyone has some data for either powder that they will shoot with. Rifle is a Barrett 82A. If anyone could give me a link to some graphed load data (for 640-820gr projos?) that I could print and put in my reloading book I would really appreciate it. I have a membership on FCSA, but I can't seem to find any decent data for the pull down powders on there. Thanks!

I have used loads between 220-225 grains for AP,API,APIT,Tracer,and Blue tip. With 225 grains of 5010 and AP projectiles it made the bolt a little stiff to open on one of my rifles but not the other 5 rifles. I used 170 grains of 5010 for the Spotter/Tracer projectiles and they shot well out to 2200 yards. I know others that have used 180 grains of 5010 for the spotter tracer, but I would not go much higher than that or you may have one go off in the brake or just outside of it. I loaded up 1600 rounds for a fun shoot with all surplus projectiles and loaded half with 222 grains of 5010 and half with 222 grains of 860 and they both shot well shooting 200-2200 yards.
Be carefull with the new 5010 it is a lot hotter than the old stuff I have been using. You may have to go as low as 200 grains from what I have been hearing. I have not tried it yet myself, I still have plenty of the old stuff on hand.
Ed

One thing I've run into with WC860 pulled powder is too much dust like it was pulled from ammo that had been around too long. I ended up pouring the powder from one container in front of a fan to get the dust out. That might help get you better consistancy. He helped me some what and I ended up with 220 gr behind a 647 gr API bullet.

Use 5010 on the spotters (it lights tracers better than 860) 190 grains is a good number.

Blue-tips are getting shakey as far as the end-of-useful-life.
Once you have the jacket come apart in a brake like I have (you'll notice a bright flash ) -you'll back your loads down to 190 on them too.

Anything else start at 210 grains of either WC860 or IMR 5010 powder and work up to your happy place.

<Edit> I've shot blended 5010 and 860 before with no issues noted.
You MUST weigh each charge as the density is different.

So typicially I should use up the WC860 with the standard ball and IMR5010 with anything that needs a tracer to light. My load with 690gr ball is 225gr H50, but I have been using 215 Gr of IMR5010 (I think I'll bump it up a bit as it seems to shoot better with a hotter load) with it recently as I have 40-50 pounds of that. Would 215gr of WC860 be a decent starting point for ball ammo?. I also load 190gr of H50 with the spotter tracers and they seem to shoot very well, I'm kind of nervous about using the pulled powders as I have used primarily H50 in the past. 180gr of IMR5010 would be safe to start on the spotter tracers I imagine. Are there any factory powders that are comparable to IMR5010 or WC860? I have the Hornady book but it only lists the 750AMaxs and commercial powders. Thanks for the responses guys, If you are looking for a good load with H50, weight sorted SA ball (new not pulled) with a fully prepped Barrett case, and 225gr of H50 will shoot very close to MOA through my Barrett. Thats as good as mag length 750 AMax. If I load the AMaxs really long I can get a touch tighter groups but at the price AMaxs are, and as good as the ball seems to be shooting, I may sell what I have to help pay for a can I'm interested in.